Scar, Cub and Shiro
by Hcobb
Summary: The usual triple marriage of the Powerpuff Girls to the We Bare Bears and they all live happily ever after, or do they?
1. Chapter 1

He wasn't hard to spot as he was the only human-bear hybrid waiting at SFO arrivals, and it had only been a year and a half.

"Cub!"

He looked up from his phone, "Scar, you made it."

"Did you have any doubts?"

"Well, you know, after, uh."

"After what happened in Townsville last year?" I hugged him. "That was Mojo's fault, not mine."

"Still, that was wow. You really took on all three of the Powerpuff Women for almost an hour?"

"So they tell me. It really shouldn't count. Mom and aunties were taking it easy on me, cause family."

"I wish I had superpowers."

"You'll get yours in time, and you might not want them when you do. So, where's our aunt and uncle?"

"Another chef called in sick and he had to cover. She's dealing with a supervillian."

"Yeah, let's get your superpowers so we can help out. Speaking of powers, where's Shiro?"

"Your luggage didn't just gather itself."

"It wouldn't have." I looked over the oddly shaped pile. "Yeah, that's all of it, but I see a spot of white fur here."

The pile rearranged itself.

"Still the shy cousin? I guess you're leading us back to her place, Cub."

"Want to grab lunch somewhere?"

"I've had enough fast food, you know with Mom and Dad, but isn't Uncle's place on the way?"

"If we change buses."

"Any objection to bothering your dad at his work, Shiro?"

The pile of luggage just stood there.

"No objection then. Lead on, Cub. Which way to the buses?"

"They've got a BART station right in the airport now." He handed me a ticket.

I watched as the pile of luggage passed through the fare gate after us, but I didn't see Shiro's paw.

Later as I was watching Shiro keep the luggage perfectly steady around her on the moving train I heard a boy shout.

"Look! They do have bears in Frisco!"

Cub turned to him. "Do you like them? We made them ourselves."

"They look so real?"

"Why, thanks."

"Come on Bobby." A woman I presumed was his mom took the boy from the train.

"You shouldn't lie like that. You shouldn't have to."

"Oh, who grew this fur for us?"

I looked up. "Wait, wasn't that Powell?"

"It's a new location. Our moms are the most famous residents of New York and Townsville. Shiro's mom is the second most famous resident of the Bay Area."

"Huh?"

"You'll see."

Uncle's face was on posters all over the new Teppan Yaki on the Pier.

"The line goes around the block. We can see Uncle some other time."

"No, we're family." Cub knocked on the back door.

An oriental man opened the door, then held it open for us.

Cub led the way upstairs and greeted several employees by name.

We had waited in the break room for only a minute when Ice arrived.

"Hi Uncle." I hugged him.

He waited for me to release him then replied. "Ice Bear is grateful that Scarlet came. Ice Bear would like to know if you have time for lunch."

"You're so busy. Just something to go would be great."

"Ice Bear has reserved a table in one of the private rooms. Ice Bear would appreciate if you stayed for a little bit."

Once we were in the room by ourselves Shiro piled my luggage by the wall and took a seat. Her green dress matched the shade of her eyes, the only spot of color on her body other than her white fur and black nose.

"Uncle, can you tell me why you've gathered us to attend high school together?"

He continued to prepare our meal. "Ice Bear's mate will explain. Is Scarlet disappointed?"

"Heck no. I mean I love my folks, but it's good to take a break from monster ground zero. Must be tough on Cub to give up the Big Apple though?"

"No, same here. New Yorkers like to think they're cosmopolitan, but California is much more accepting on non-humans, especially bears. That's why you three settled here, Uncle?"

Ice shrugged then put a plate of food in front of each of us. "Ice Bear must return to the customers. Ice Bear will see you three later at home. Is Shiro happy to see her cousins?"

She nodded at this. He patted her on the head and left.

"I so jealous of you Shiro. This is great stuff. The kids at my old school thought it was great that all I had was hamburgers and pizzas. Yeah, but not every night. How about you, Cub?"

"My parents are vegetarians and terrible cooks. The salads are okay I guess."

Then it was back on BART, a transfer at Powell to the Marin line and we finally arrived at Mill Valley Bart station.

I studied the scehdule. "It's a hour till the next bus?"

"We've got a ride." Cub waved to the Ranger cart which stopped next to us.

"Hi, Ms. Tabes."

"Look here, young lady. I run a clean park. This isn't Townsville. Your sort of roughhousing won't be tolerated."

"I'm sorry, I wasn't responsible, it..."

"Just joshing. You look great Scarlet." She took off her sunglasses and hugged me. "My how you've grown. Wait till you see how my boy Eddie's grown. I'll take you right to the cave so you can rest up, but be sure and drop by the Ranger station later. I'm sure he'd love to see you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he and Shiro get along great these days. He's still shy around most folks though. Gives him more time to get that online college degree so he can become a full Ranger. So how are your mom and Griz getting along these days?"

"Mostly just monster stuff. The supervillians seem to pick on New York. Must be quiet in California?"

"Well, except when Shiro's mom takes off to go handle stuff on the other side of the Pacific. She's supposed to stay subsonic until she's five miles offshore."

We chatted about the usual superhero stuff until she dropped us off in front of the cave and drove away.

"I'm amazed there isn't a big security service."

Cub took a key from his shirt pocket and opened the door. "Why? What good would it do against supervillians? And as for ordinary criminals, they don't stand a chance against Auntie."

"Or us."

"Well you two at least. I don't want to get shot."

"It's no fun."

"Not a scar on you, Scar."

"Still hurts."

"I've got my dad's old room. You two are bunked up in your dad's old room. The basement is for the couple of the house and off-limits for us."

"Sounds fair. You don't mind sharing, Shiro?"

She didn't reply, just took my bags to her room.

I waited for her to return. "Shiro, this isn't like you. I mean you've always been shy, but not this much."

Cub stepped between us. "Is there something you need to tell us, Shiro?"

She shook her head, grabbed a book, returned to her room, and closed the door.

"I guess she just needs her space. Scar, want to try some video games?"

"Are they any good?"

"Too tough for me to beat alone."

"This I got to see."

An hour later I put down my controller. "This is too tough for even both of us, but it looks like we've got help now."

Cub looked past me. "You want to help, Shiro?"

She nodded and picked up a controller.

Ten minutes later I was pushing the buttons as hard as I dared, but it was only a matter of time. Suddenly a Player Four joined and finished the final boss with one attack.

"You can't just spam out missiles. Use some strategy, as your mother taught me years ago,"

"Hi Auntie!"

"Hi Scarlet. So you survived your flight?"

"I've seen the news footage of the attacks you used against me. Compared to that even if the plane had crashed it would've been nothing. I wish I could fly."

"It's still a pain carrying luggage. I keep a specially reinforced cargo container at the port, and it still slows me down."

"Aunt Buttercup," Cub turned off the game, "Uncle Ice said you'd say why we're here?"

"You two are here because I asked to borrow you two for a few years. Any second thoughts?"

"No, I'm chill, Scar?"

"No complaints. So what is it?"

"Let's talk about this outside."

"Is the house bugged?"

"No, of course not. I'd never allow that. It's just more comfortable."

We followed Buttercup a short ways into the forest then she sat down next to a tree and motioned for us to sit down also.

"So, what is it?" I asked.

"It's Shiro."

There was a gust of wind next to me and Shiro was gone.

"What was that? Do you need to chase after her?"

"No need. She hasn't gone far. When I first got my powers I played a game of tag. It didn't end well."

"Buttercup hates Shiro!"

Buttercup looked up in the trees. "You know very well how untrue that is."

"Buttercup is embarrassed by Shiro!" Shiro's voice came from another tree. I hadn't heard her move.

"Hardly. I'd been a thousand times more embarrassing to myself and my family by the time I was half your age. Just look at the old news archives."

"Buttercup is afraid of Shiro?"

"My precious little snowflake if you think you've got it then bring it. You saw on the news what I did to Scarlet. You couldn't take a tenth of that. I don't fear you, I fear for you. That's why I summoned your cousins."

"What?" Suddenly Shiro was standing a few meters away.

"Are we going to a serious conversation or just play tag all night?"

Shiro shrugged and sat down next to her mother.

Buttercup grabbed Shiro and pulled her onto her lap. "I've got you now! You'll never get away."

"Uh, do you need us for this?" I asked.

"Just getting to that. Shiro, your isolation makes you vulnerable."

"Shiro is powerful."

"Do you feel powerful?"

"No."

"That leaves an opening. Somebody could step in and use your isolation to control you, to make you do what they want. Your cousins know that as exotics they attract attention from people who want prizes, not partners, right?"

"I don't know?" I turned to Cub.

"I do. I guess living with all the monsters in Townsville protects you somewhat. The real freaks in New York are humans."

"That's why I've called you two here. You can make friends. Please help my daughter make real friends in high school. Can you do that for me?"

"Sure, Auntie." "No problem."

"Now I had to promise to do certain things to borrow you two and here comes one of those things. And it is something that will embarrass you so much you'll turn pink, Shiro. But I won't let you escape. Can you two guess when I was the most frightened I've ever been in my life?"

"When you fought Mojo, Fuzzy or Him?" Cub asked.

"When you first got your powers?" I suggested.

"Nope. That was all more or less normal for me. I just grew up dealing with supervillians, demons, alien invasions. It was all the same. No, it was when I was just a year older that you three are now and found out I was going to be a teenage mom."

"What?"

"Do the math Scarlet. Think of how old you three are now and how old me and my sisters are."

"Um, how did uh. I mean?"

"The brothers were people, so it made it okay, but they weren't humans so it made it safe. Or so we six thought. Nature and that unnatural Chemical-X had different ideas as to what was conceivable. I may be a hero, but I'm no role model. So part of the price of having you two here is that I have to educate you three so you don't follow our mistakes."

"And you'll train us to use our powers also?"

"Of course Charles. When evil people fail to lure they often turn to force."

-HJC


	2. Chapter 2

I awoke to an instrumental version of the Teddy Bears' Picnic, rolled out of bed, and fell five feet to the floor.

Shiro peeked out from under her covers on the bottom bunk.

"Sorry, I forgot." I picked my phone up off the charger. "Hi, Granddad!"

"Oh fiddlesticks! Did I wake you Scarlet? I didn't account for the timezone difference. I'm sorry I'm not as sharp as I used to be."

"No, no, it's fine. What's up?"

"I just wanted to call to see how you were doing."

"It's great. Catching up with my cousins."

"It must be a relief to be with your own kind. Wait. I did not mean it like that. To me you always have been and always will be family."

"It's okay. You always said that it was up to each of us to define for ourselves what we really are. We've all got the same questions so it can't hurt to work it out together. How are things in Townsville?"

"Your mom's on patrol and we're just working around the lab. Nothing exciting today."

There was a crash in the background.

"Griz!"

"I swear it wasn't my fault. It just fell over on its own."

"It's your daughter. Do you want to talk to her?"

"Uh sure. I'll clean that up later. Hi Cupcake, how's it going?"

"No complaints. I'm bunking up with Shiro in your old room."

"I hope you're keeping her room tidy."

"Better than you ever did Dad."

"What?"

"Cub showed us Uncle Panda's old scrapbooks back when we visited New York."

"I knew we should have burned that junk back when we all got married. So you survived the trip?"

"I would have, even if nobody else did."

"Your mother says you shouldn't depend on that. That you ought to take your time and let your powers develop naturally."

"This is the same Blossom who had died saving the world a half dozen times by half my age?"

"Your mother knows about the super stuff."

"Well I won't ask her for advice on how to be a bear."

"She has been, three times."

"Is that how, uh?"

"No, no. Long before I met her. So you're taking it easy?"

"No repeats of that nastiness. I promise."

"I'll let you go. Just remember that you can call anytime you need the bear facts."

"I'll have to call granddad, because you never remember to charge your phone."

"Sorry. For you Cupcake I will. I promise."

"I'll hold you to that. I'll call you later to check on that."

"Looking forwards to it. Talk to you soon."

I held the phone to my chest for a minute after the call then looked up.

Cub was standing there in his pajamas. "Sorry! Breakfast is ready." He backed behind the door.

"What's the matter Cub?"

"You're not wearing anything."

"I'm covered head to toe in fur. You can't see anything."

"It's still naughty."

"How so?" I pushed past him and sat down at the table.

"Scarlet! Return to your room this instant."

"Why, Aunt Buttercup? Ice is sitting there wearing nothing at all."

"Ice Bear did not mean to offend. Ice Bear will wear pants around the house from now on."

"Ice, stay there. Scarlet, do you see how thick his fur is? Yours is less than half that thickness. It's not enough. Your three fathers are really uncomfortable layering on clothes on top of their fur, but you three will have to deal with it."

"Why?"

"When I was less than half as old as you are now I was careless about the damage super fights did to my dress. Pervs are still reposting the pics today."

"I thought you said the cave wasn't bugged?"

"It still has windows. I won't have you being a bad example to my daughter. Get dressed or leave."

"Okay, it's your house."

"Did you mother let you act that way at home?"

"No, she always had my outfits planned out two weeks in advance."

"That's our Blossom. Okay, for today wear your gi, but put underwear and a t-shirt under it."

"Fighting training?"

"You seem to need the discipline."

"Yes, Aunt Buttercup."

After breakfast I followed Buttercup to a clearing in the forest.

"Where are the others?"

"Ice is teaching Charles to cook and Shiro is two trees behind your left shoulder."

I glanced back that way and saw nothing. "How can you tell?"

"My secret. Mommy's proud of her little ninja. Keep trying!"

"Buttercup cheats."

"Shiro, I hope to teach you to never settle for a fair fight. Use your stealth and speed to evade what you can't crush. But this is Scarlet's training day. Stick around to see what her weaknesses are."

"That's cruel Auntie."

"Life is cruel. I'm merely stern. Or at least I try to be. Really I'm the softest of the Powerpuff Women."

"I thought you were the toughest fighter?"

"That comes from not being as brittle as my sisters. Here I am not your friend or your aunt, merely your teacher. If you don't like my rules you can find another teacher."

"Yes, Ms Buttercup."

"Sensei."

"Sensei, what I am to do first?"

"You are to follow my rules. First, don't wreak my forest. Most of the trees around here are older than I am and I'd like to keep them."

"Okay, and then?"

"We'll get to the rest later. Now hit me."

"What?"

"The proper response is Yes, Sensei."

"Why?"

"I want to see how well you fight."

"Didn't we already fight last year?"

"Do you remember any of it?"

"I've watched the videos over and over."

"That's not the same. Hit me."

"Yes, Sensei." I charged and swung at Buttercup, but she zipped out of the way and kicked my leg out from under me. "Ow!" I clutched at my leg.

"Are you injured?"

"No, but it really hurts. Do you want to unleash that thing?"

"Do you, Scarlet?"

"No. That's why I'm here. That and to have my parents fight less."

"Your parents can't be fighting. Isn't your dad still alive?"

"Not physical, it's all emotional!"

"Oh?"

"For even the least little thing Mom and Dad will come up with elaborate plans and then nitpick each other's for hours. It's exhausting."

"That's strange."

"Strange, or not. That's what happens all the time."

"No. It's strange that you've been around Blossom for almost as long as I have and Griz for much longer. Tell me Scarlet, whose plans work out?"

"Neither! It's always a chaotic mess."

"Do they cry about their ruined plans?"

"No, they just keep going."

"It's because that's what your parents do to have fun."

"What?"

"They're both obsessed with imposing their personal visions on the chaos of the world. That's what makes them our leaders, and perfect for each other. Nobody else can put up with either of them for long. Blossom drove me away to California and so all of this happened."

"How did you six meet?"

"Didn't your parents tell you?"

"It's difficult to get a word in edgewise."

Buttercup sat down in front of me. "It all started when I called dibs on the Great California Earthquake. It was an excuse to get away from my family who had been really irritating lately. Working a disaster gives me something I can do, and some quiet, cause folks need to shut up so I can use my super hearing to locate survivors."

"Can you teach me how to do that?" I flexed my leg.

"Be thankful you're not overhearing everything all the time, especially around your folks. So I spotted a polar bear digging through the rubble. I swooped down to take him back to the zoo I assumed he'd escaped from but Ice told me there was a girl trapped under the rubble."

"So we bears do have at least one superior sense on the Powerpuff Women?"

"Ice in particular. He told me that his kind hunt seal cubs under the snow by their scent. It was really useful that day. He spotted several dozen people for me. Then he invited me over to his house."

"Is that when?"

"Not that night. I slept on the couch. But over the next few days Ice's brothers kept teasing him about having a girlfriend, so I invited my sisters over to celebrate the rescue mission."

"And then?"

"Yes. We had a party, then split into three couples, in the three rooms of the brothers. We could hear what our sisters were doing so we sort of dared each other on. The brothers were obsessed with human girls and it seemed harmless. But a few months later we found out about you three."

"Is that the only reason you got married?"

"Well it certainly speeded things up, but I suspect we would have anyway eventually. We six just match up too well."

"Bubbles and Panda have the silly hats, but how do you and Ice match?"

"Sorry, but I am so going to quote you on the silly hats next time I see those two together. As for us, what Ice gives me is the serenity to accept the parts of this mad world I can't change. He always has the one question that cuts through all the chaos and confusion to reveal the simple elegance of the choices before me."

"Like?"

"It varies, but the most common is And then what will Buttercup do? I never liked my name before, but it still thrills me when he says it. Enough about me. Let's get back to your training, so you can use your powers properly."

"No, so I can avoid using my power. No point in training that, because I check out. It's not me."

"That's where you're wrong. The anger isn't a foreign entity, it's you. I've been there."

"Really?"

"That's why I studied martial arts. I could already take out almost any foe with a single punch."

"Didn't you learn it to take out the ones you couldn't?"

"Nope, for those I needed a different answer. Ready to try again?"

"Are you going to kick me again?"

"For now let's focus on your stance. I'll attack you some other time when you're ready for it."

Buttercup drilled me on basic poses and motions for the next hour and then looked up.

I followed her gaze and saw nothing. "What is it?"

"Sorry Scarlet. Work calls. We'll continue your training some other time."

"How do you do that?"

"It's a secret. Shiro tell your dad please."

"Yes Mom."

I turned around and saw that Shiro was standing just a few feet behind me. Then I looked up to catch a glimpse of the green streak as Buttercup zoomed off.

Back at the cave I took a shower to wash the dirt off my fur. I saw that Ice and Cub were setting out lunch, but I remembered my promise to Buttercup and went to get dressed instead of sitting down wrapped in a towel.

"Lunch is served."

"Thanks Cub, you made the fried rice?"

"It's that obvious?"

"Uncle Ice is the expert. You'll catch up. Here, let me try some of that."

A phone rang and Ice pulled out his cellphone, though he had no obvious pockets. "Is Ice Bear. Is Ice Bear day off. Ice Bear will be there." He hung up and put the phone away again. "Ice Bear must see to work. Shiro will show forest to cousins?"

"Yes Dad."

"Ice Bear is grateful."

We waited for him to leave then I tried Cub's fried rice, that only looked messy.

Shiro listened for her dad to drive off then stood and walked into the kitchen.

"This is great stuff Cub."

"Aren't you just hungry because you missed most of breakfast?"

"Are you saying I'm fat?"

"Sorry!"

"I guess it's hard to tell. Do bear or human standards apply to us?"

"There's just me and you two girls. We seem to fall between the two standards."

"There is another."

"Oh?" I looked up at Shiro, then down to the table as the sushi I had been reaching for wasn't there.

"Come. Shiro will show cousins the forest." She picked up a stuffed picnic basket.

"I wasn't done."

"Scarlet can have some later." She looked me over. "But not too much."

I took a deep breath. "Fine, show us the secrets of your forest."

"Shiro didn't promise that."

On the trail from the cave Shiro swept her paw around. "Here is forest." She continued walking.

"Where is she going?"

"Seems to be towards the ranger station?" Cub shrugged. "To catch the bus?"

"No bus. Shiro's cousins will stay quiet or go back to cave."

"Fine, but I'm not letting lunch out of my sight."

"Shh!" Shiro continued to lead us along. She led us to a mobile home that was setup on a platform behind the ranger station then motioned for us to stand back as she tapped on the door. She waited a few seconds then said. "Is okay. Shiro only brought cousins."

The door opened and another half-human peeked out. He was covered in short brownish red fur and wore ranger shorts and a shirt that was too short for his six and a half feet. "Hi, you must be Charles and Scarlet? Pleased to meet you. Shiro, you brought me lunch?"

"Is for you."

"Let's go eat in the station then. My house is a mess. Wasn't expecting company. Oh yeah, my name's Eddie Tabes."

"Ranger Tabes' son? But how?"

"My mom's got a theory about that. Let me show you." Eddie lead us to the ranger station and pushed a mobile blackboard out of the way to reveal a tacboard with news clippings. He pointed to a fuzzy picture. "That's my dad."

"What is it?"

"It's Bigfoot. It's the only logical explanation."

I turned to the door. "Hi, Ms. Tabes."

"I see you two have met my boy. He's of your kind, kinda. So I might as well tell you how this all happened."

My stomach growled.

"Over lunch. Eddie, go make some tea for our guests."

"Yes Mom."

Shiro unpacked her picnic basket then sat down next to Eddie.

Ranger Tabes thought for a moment then started. "It was 19 years ago, even before your six parents met. I drank a little too much at the station's Fourth of July party and blabbed too much about how Bigfoot had been watching me all of my life. The other rangers were getting annoyed about it so I took another bottle and drank half of that by the time I walked to the pond. It was a warm night so I decided to go swimming."

"While drunk, alone?"

"Yes Charlies, I wasn't thinking clearly. Obviously. I didn't have a swimming suit so I stripped down and went skinny dipping. I floated out into the middle of the pond, lay back and watched the stars. I must of passed out because next thing I knew Bigfoot was carrying me out of the pond. I thought it had to be some sort of trick so I crawled over him looking for a zipper or something. This caused him to lose his balance so he fell on his back, and I fell on top of him. That's when I discovered his man parts. You know what they say about shoe size Scarlet?"

"What?"

"Well they just don't make shoes that big. Good thing I'm a big bodied woman."

"Ms. Tabes is a beautiful woman."

"That's very kind of you to say, Shiro. Not just size mind you. He had incredible endurance also. I reached over for the bottle but it was empty. He must have drank the rest while he watched me swim. I should have guessed that when I tasted it in his kiss."

"You just kissed?"

"Scarlet, that's not how I got my boy. Well we went at it for almost a hour until I passed out again. When I woke up mid afternoon in my own bed I thought it had just been a strange dream. A few months later I suspected that one of the rangers or some random park visitor had done me. When Eddie was born my suspicions shifted to your three dads, but then a few years later you three came along looking different. So my Bigfoot is the only logical explanation."

"Watching you swim. Doing things with you. He sounds like a perv."

"Scarlet, have you seen or heard of anybody like my boy Eddie?"

"No."

"And Bigfoot is older than I am. I must be the only woman for him, and he must be the last of his kind. Well except for Eddie here. I just wish he'd come back to me. I'm not getting any younger."

"What?"

"Scarlet, preserving endangered species is what we rangers do. This case is a little more personal than usual, but I'd love to have more kids and Bigfoot is the only man, so to speak, for me."

"What did the other rangers do about this?"

"They've been very supportive. Got me this mobile home right at the station and send a team of doctors by every six months to check on my boy. When a couple from the FBI came by asking for details about this unsolved mystery the district manager told them it was strictly Ranger business."

-HJC


	3. Chapter 3

"I should have called your mom in, Scarlet."

"Huh?" I looked up from my dinner.

"To help with that refinery fire in Martinez. Surely you saw it?"

"No, Aunt Buttercup."

"But Shiro said you were hiking in the woods all afternoon. How could you miss that big black cloud?"

"We had lunch at the ranger station."

Uncle Ice raised an eyebrow at this. Shiro frowned at me, then looked away. Cub shrugged.

"Oh, that explains it." Buttercup continued. "Did you get to see Eddie again? You haven't seen him since you were a little cu- baby, right?"

"I don't remember."

"Yeah, I forget things myself. I crammed on Chemistry to get my GED but your mom has the fancy degrees. No way would the great Blossom have ever let things blow up like that. Good thing I got everybody out safely."

That night I lay in bed thinking then whispered. "You sleeping, Shiro?"

From the bunk below me she responded. "Shiro is trying to. Scarlet keeps fidgeting."

"You know something about the rangers your parents don't, right?"

"Shiro knows nothing."

"Really?"

"Shiro will tell Buttercup that Scarlet is keeping Shiro awake."

"Okay, night."

The next morning Uncle Ice had us three try on the school uniforms he had made. Mine was a little tight, but my cousins seemed to be well fitted.

The refrigerator slid to one side and Buttercup floated up from the basement, yawned, then slid it back into place.

"Are you okay, Aunt Buttercup?"

"Yeah, Charles, I'm fine. Just got called out in the middle of the night."

"Ice Bear made coffee."

"You are a dear."

"Ice Bear is bear, not deer."

"Yes, that too. Let's see, creamer?" Buttercup opened the fridge and bent down far enough that we could tell she wasn't wearing anything under her short robe.

"Charles!" She spun around to face him.

"What?" He stepped back.

Buttercup frowned for a moment. "Nevermind. I just let my defenses down for a moment. Ice, can you take the kids to school?"

"Ice Bear will handle."

"Thanks. I'm going back to sleep. Wake me when we're attacked." She slid the fridge out of the way, drifted down the hatch, and slid it back into place.

Uncle Ice drove us down to the station. We got off the train at Presidio station and had just walked up to the San Francisco Bayes School when a gold colored stretch limo pulled up next to us.

A rear window rolled down and a woman with curly red hair who seemed to be about my Mom's age spoke. "Ice, what a surprise meeting you here."

"Ice Bear doubts Mrs. Max is surprised."

"Oh you. It's Ms. Morbucks again. That name is the only thing I didn't take from him. Where's the bit- Buttercup. You're still with her?"

"Buttercup has been busy saving the world."

"What a pity. I so wanted to introduce her to my daughter. Get out, Dear."

"Yes, Mother." A girl around my age stepped out of the limo. Her merely wavy hair wasn't as bright red as her mother's. She was wearing the same style of school uniform as we three were and held a satchel in her left hand.

"Ice, Scarlet, Charles and Shiro, this is my daughter, Regina Morbucks. Say hello to your new friends, Regina."

Regina looked down at the ground and mumbled something.

"Ice, can you show her into school please? I'd love to stay and chat, but the market never sleeps."

"Ice Bear will comply."

Regina watched as her mom's limo drove off and continued to look in that direction after it turned a corner and moved out of sight.

Cub stepped up and grabbed Regina's free hand.

She looked down at his paw then blankly at his face.

Cub smiled at her. "Shall we go inside?"

"Ice!" A small person ran out from the school and jumped up at Uncle Ice who caught her. A child? No, a short oriental woman wearing a pantsuit.

"Ice Bear is pleased to see Chloe."

"How have you been?" Chloe crawled up Uncle Ice until she sat straddling his shoulders. "And these are the kids?"

"Ice Bear has brought the children."

"Better let me down then. I must preserve the dignity of the office." Once on her own feet she looked up at his. "Charles, Scarlet and Shiro, my how you three have grown. I remember when you were shorter than me. And you are?"

Regina backed behind Cub.

"Ice Bear has also brought Ms. Morbucks' daughter, Regina."

"Oh? It's good to see you're getting along so well, considering everything. Regina, welcome to our humble school. Please convey to your mother once again our thanks for her generous donation."

"Yes, Ma'am." Regina put her arms to her sides and looked at Chloe's shoes.

"Ice Bear must be going."

"Yes, duty calls. Come along." Chole grabbed Regina's hand. "We're just about to start Freshman orientation."

"Cub, it looks like your tag-along has been taken from you." I gently elbowed him.

"Cub?" Regina stopped and looked back at me and him, then turned forwards as Chole dragged her along.

Chole announced the various rooms we passed as we made our way to the auditorium. It was a huge room with rows of folding chairs set up in the forward third facing the raised stage. Adults where arranging stacks of papers on folding tables setup along the sides.

"Here, you four sit in front. I've got to get ready."

Cub sat down to my left, and Regina sat to his left. Shiro looked at Regina, then sat to my right.

Other students continued to arrive, some with their parents. Most of the seats in the front row were left empty, including those next to us four.

Chole carried a short stool which she stood on to look over the podium in the center of the stage. She waited a moment for the students to settle down then spoke into the microphone.

"Freshmen students, Welcome to the San Francisco Bayes School. I'm your principal, Chloe Park. I'm sure you have many questions, which is why we dedicate this day to get you settled in. The other years will join you for regular classes starting tomorrow. In just a moment we'll start the process of assigning you to your classes, but first I'd like to deal with one of the bigger questions you probably have. Charles, Scarlet and Shiro Utonium Bear, would you please stand and face the other students?"

We three stood up and turned around. Regina started to stand when Cub did, but looked around and ducked down again.

"These three may look a little different than most people you encounter, but let me assure you that they are one hundred percent human."

I looked over my shoulder at Ms. Park.

"In a landmark civil rights case brought by, uh certain persons, their entire families were found to be legally human. There were days of testimony attesting to the well known selfless bravery of their mothers, but I was one of the few character witnesses for their fathers. That these three cousins can attend as ordinary students of legally wed parents is a civil rights breakthrough I was proud to be a small part of, and we'll proud to have them as students. So just treat them as ordinary students like yourselves and please don't pester them with questions about what their mothers have done. Go ahead and sit down now, you three."

Ms. Park went over the school rules and procedures, and then all we joined the other students in lines at the tables to fill in our schedules.

As Regina followed Cub around I finally made the connection. "Morbucks v. Utonium."

"What?" Regina looked at me.

"That's the case Ms. Park was talking about. It was your mom against ours."

"I'm sorry, I don't..."

"Stop pestering her Scar."

"Sorry Cub, I didn't mean to upset your girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Regina backed up half a step.

"Don't be so dramatic Scar. I just met her."

"Oh." Regina looked down at the floor again and continued to follow Cub around, signing up to whatever classes he picked.

When Cub got the last spot in Home Ec. Regina just stood there for a moment until the teacher offered to make a space available for her.

Regina followed us to lunch, and sat down next to Cub. She picked up the milk carton from her tray and turned it around in her hands.

Cub picked it out of her hands, opened it, and handed it back to her. "Gina, is this the first school you've been to?"

She opened her mouth and started to say something then froze. She closed her mouth, put the carton back down on her tray and nodded.

"What's the matter? Did I do something wrong?"

"I've always hated to be called Gina. I never really liked my name, but I resented when people turned it into a familiarity, as if they owned me."

"Sorry, I..."

"Don't be!" She grabbed his paw with both of her hands and looked up into his face. "I guess, I guess I was just waiting for you to call me that. It feels so right when you say it. Can I, uh..."

"What?"

"Charles, can I call you Cub like Scarlet does?"

"Sure, no problem. That's my name, Charles Utonium Bear or CUB."

"Thank you, my Cub!"

"Shiro is also new at school, but Shiro knows how to open a milk carton."

"I'm sorry, there was just always somebody else to handle such things."

"Don't worry about it Gina. Just ask me about anything you haven't seen before."

"I will, my Cub." She turned to me. "And can I ask you a personal question, Scarlet?"

"Uh sure?"

"Where is your scar that my Cub talks about? Is it somewhere private?"

"No scars at all. That's the joke. I've been shot a dozen times and it hasn't left a mark."

"It's covered by your fur?"

"Nothing to cover. there aren't any marks. We three are half bear and half superhuman. I'm also the strongest human sized critter in the world, or so I've been told. Shiro here is very very fast."

"And you, my Cub? Surely you must have an equally wonderful power?"

"Theoretically. I haven't found it yet. I'm a little stronger and tougher than a human, but I wouldn't want to try being shot at."

After lunch Regina walked hand in paw with Cub as we followed the short tour of the school for us new students. When we left the school she looked at the returned limo and froze.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Gina?"

"Yes." She walked up to the limo then turned to wave at him before getting in.

The rather large chauffeur closed the passenger door behind her, turned to look at Cub, then got in the front and drove away.

"So, girlfriend?" I smiled.

"It's not like that."

"Shiro thinks Charles can do better."

"Better? Ms. Morbucks is one of ten richest people in the world."

"Princess Morbucks is a supervillain."

"A reformed supervillain, so she says."

"Girls!" Cub stepped between us. "Whatever her mom did, Gina is just an innocent girl. I want you two to promise to take it easy on her. This is obviously all brand new to her."

"School is also new to Shiro, but Shiro came here because Charles asked."

"Then you know how she feels?"

"Does Regina know what it's like to be hunted by villains?"

"The rich have their own predators. That's why I want you two, the strongest girls I know, to protect Regina when she's at school."

"Shiro will do this for Charles."

"Sure, Cub, no problem."

We took the train back to Mill Valley Bart station and as we were waiting for the bus, the Ranger cart pulled up.

"Could you three please come with me?"

"What's wrong, Ms. Tabes?" Cub asked.

"There's something we need to talk about."

We got in and she drove in silence until got to the park then she said. "I need to apologize to you three."

"For what?" I looked back at my cousins then to her.

"The things I said yesterday. It was quite a bit more explicit than I intended. I've never told my son half those details before. I don't know what came over me. It's not like I'd been drinking or anything."

"Don't worry, we promise not to tell anybody else."

"Thank you Charles. I guess I just wanted to let you three know that you weren't alone in the world, but I guess one glance at my boy would have told you that. Just please don't hold me up as an example. You mustn't repeat my mistake. Take your time, get your educations and then years from now find somebody to hold onto. It just gets so lonely sometimes and my tongue just slipped. Please excuse this old woman. I'll see you three later. No hard feelings?"

I waited for her to drive off then turned to Shiro. "You know something! I can see it."

"What?" Cub turned to her. "Are you hiding something from even us?"

Shiro looked at Cub for a moment then held up her paw. She stood silently then nodded. "Change into hiking clothes please." She turned, opened the door and stepped into the cave.

-HJC


	4. Chapter 4

The leaves tickled my nose as I crept through the woods. I stopped when I saw a gray furred tall humanoid sitting on a log. Come on Cub, do your thing.

Our target looked up as the bushes on the other side of the clearing rustled. Then he stood and walked the other way. I rose to all fours then onto my hind legs as I chased after him.

A blur of white passed in front of him and he dropped to the ground and clutched at his right knee. He looked up at the three of us. "Ow! Why you'd do that? I was just minding my own business. Scarlet, Charles and Shiro, do your folks know you're out this far in the woods?"

I stood over him. "How do you know our names?"

"I guess we haven't been properly introduced, at least not recently. I'm Charley, nice to meet you, but shouldn't you three be getting home?"

"Don't you want to go to your home?" Cub smiled at him. "And be with your family."

"Sorry boy, but your Jedi tricks won't work on me. Yeah, I've seen a few movies through windows and such. Besides, I got no idea what you're talking about." Charley towered over us as he stood and tested his leg.

"Charley should be with Ranger Tabes and Eddy." Shiro glared up at him.

"Oh that. It's complicated. Sure I love her, but that kid ain't my son."

"Have you seen him?" I raised my paw. "What else could he be?"

"Why you kids bothering Charley?"

I turned to look at Buttercup hovering in midair. "You know about this?"

"I know that you three are way out of bounds and on school night no less. Time for you three to get back to the cave now. Sorry about this Charley."

"No permanent harm done, Ma'am. It's nice to see everybody again, but you really need to get them out of here now."

"I am well aware. Come on you three march, on the double."

I saw a blur and Shiro was gone.

"Okay, that's one home. Now you two."

"She's not the only one who's fast." I picked up Cub and jumped 100 meters.

Buttercup was waiting for us to land. "Put your cousin down and march on foot. Stay under cover."

"Who are we hiding from?"

"My rules. Jumping like that you might hit one of the trees and knock it down. Now March."

"Yes, Aunt Buttercup." We said together, then marched in silence back to the cave.

The dinner Uncle Ice brought was delicious, but I still had a sour taste from the encounter in the woods.

"Why did you tell us we were accidents?"

"Happy accidents." Buttercup continued to lean back against Uncle Ice. "If your mothers really didn't want you two, they'd have sent you to me years ago."

"Why do you want to be a mother?"

"It's the luxury I could never justify."

"What luxury? Sure this place is decently furnished, but it's still a cave in the woods. Cub's home is a much higher rent district."

"Which means less property damage when villains come looking for the three of you to seek leverage against the three of us. Scarlet, do you know the story of The Little Match Girl?"

"The one who died alone in the cold?"

"The irony was that she wasn't alone. She could see the happy families through the windows, she just couldn't be with her own. That was my life until I met Ice. I was saving everybody else's families, but I could never justify starting one of my own. There's no family leave plan for the guardians of the world. Speaking of which." She rose into the air, turned and kissed Ice. "Duty calls. Don't wait up."

Tuesday morning Uncle Ice drove us three kids to the BART station and boarded the train with us, but continued on after we got off at the Presidio station.

We walked the few blocks to school and had just entered the gate when that limo drove up behind us. Two cars suddenly pulled away from the unloading zone to make room for it. I hadn't seen them drop off any kids.

Regina shoved open the door as soon as the limo stopped. "Cub!" She ran to him and grabbed his paw.

"Regina!"

She turned back to the limo and saw that her mother was holding a satchel out the window. "You forgot your bag."

"Oh, sorry." Regina released Cub and walked back for the satchel.

Ms. Morbucks smile vanished as she saw that I was watching her. She rolled up her window and the Limo drove away. Two normal sized cars quickly replaced the limo and dropped off students.

I turned back and followed the others up the stairs.

A group of teenage boys were talking need the school entrance. One of them stepped in front of Shiro. "I didn't believe my little sister, but here you are. This is a school, not a zoo. There's no room here for dangerous animals."

Cub stopped and the two girls stepped behind him.

I stepped in front of him. "My cousins haven't done anything wrong. Please stand aside and let them in."

"I wasn't talking about them. I was talking about you, Scarlet Bear. This close." He held up his right hand and spread his fingers.

I stepped up just in front of his hand. "Yeah?"

"This close." He held up both forefingers to match the distance he had shown with one hand. "That's how close you came to crushing my cousin's skull in Townsville last year."

"That wasn't my fault and the Powerpuff Women kept anybody from being killed or seriously hurt. Anyway, you're lying."

"What, do you want me to call him up right now?"

"You're lying, but not about that. If you really considered me to be dangerous then you wouldn't be standing so close to me." I smiled wide, showing my fangs.

"I'm not scared for myself, but I've got a lot of friends at this school. I don't want to see them killed."

"Come on Larry." One of the other boys put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't make a fuss on day one. She'll show her true colors soon enough."

"She already has." This Larry turned and walked inside. The other boys followed him.

"Scar?"

I turned back to Regina. "Don't worry about him."

"No, but did you really do all that?"

"Ask your mom to show you. I'm sure she has all the tapes." I walked up the stairs to my class.

"Not only are you in the wrong school, you're in the wrong classroom."

I looked at Larry and his two friends sitting up front. I backed up a step and checked the room number. "Room 302, Math Analysis first period, right?"

"Yeah, but you're a frosh. You need to take Algebra first."

"Passed with honors. Ask your cousin in Townsville." I took a seat in the opposite back corner.

Halfway through first period a voice spoke over the PA system. "Scarlet Utonium Bear, please report to the Principal's Office."

"Third door to the left of the stairs on the ground floor." The teacher didn't look up from his lesson plan.

Larry grinned at me as I walked past him.

The man at the front desk waved me through to the inner office.

Chole looked up from the note on her desk. "Scarlet, please have a seat."

"Yes, Ms. Park. What's up? Something happen to my family?"

"No, this isn't anything like that. I just can't have you threatening the other students."

"I didn't do anything."

"Please understand that while displays of fang and claw have been done by your kind for millions of years, it makes humans uncomfortable."

"I am human. That's what you said yesterday."

"Then please take to heart the example your father set of adapting human ways to better fit into human society."

"Both of us were raised by humans. I don't think he's ever spoken to a wild bear. I certainly haven't. I wouldn't know the language."

"Let's try that sometime. Let me know when you're free some weekend and we'll go down to the zoo, if you don't mind."

"Are we done here."

"Please Scarlet, promise me you'll behave at this school."

"That's what I promised my mom. That whatever the bullies did, I'd take it with a smile. Now you tell me I can't even smile."

"Smile with your lips, not your fangs. That's all I ask."

"I'll try."

"I'm sure you'll succeed. I've always had faith in you."

"Because of my mom?"

"No, I hardly know Blossom, outside of what everybody sees on the news. But I'm sure she's nice. No, it's because you're your father's daughter. I see a lot of Griz in you and that's what gives me hope. Please come in when you need to talk, but for now go along to your next class."

"Yes, Ms. Park."

I noticed that another of Larry's friends was in that next class so I started towards a table at the other corner.

"How did you get into my class, Miss Bear?"

I turned around. "My grandfather started me welding when I was five, Professor Smith."

"It's just Mister Smith. I have no fancy degree. We usually don't allow freshmen in Shop, but I'm willing to put you to the test. How would you bend this into a tetrahedron?"

I took the metal rod from him. "Appears to be steel. Around three feet long and quarter inch thickness. Everybody put on safety goggles please."

"Do as she asks."

"Okay it measures out to exactly 36 inches. A tetrahedron has one, two, three, four, five six edges so that's six inches each. It's made out of equilateral triangles so I just need to measure sixty degrees. Everybody stand back please."

"And why is that?"

"In case I've misjudged the nature of the material. Here goes. One, two folds," I bent the metal rod with my paws, using my claws to pinch out tight corners, "and I've got the first triangle. Now up and back again and I've got the second triangle and..."

"Having problems, Miss Bear?"

"No, I can just pinch off the last length and weld it into the correct spot."

"The assignment was to bend, not cut or weld the material."

"I'll just start over and... Hmm, how does that work? Maybe if I started halfway down one edge and met it halfway at the end? No, that wouldn't work."

"Let that be a lesson to you, class. Always plan out what you're going to do before you do it. Miss Bear you will complete this assignment by the end of the semester or I'll flunk you. I'll flunk out anybody who tells you how to do it, but I'll give you one clue. You've taken on additional constraints that aren't part of the assignment. Don't be greedy, just complete the task."

"Yes, Mister Smith."

One of the other boys in the class (I noticed I was the only girl) picked up my handiwork. "There's got to be a trick to this?" He tried bending the metal but it didn't budge.

I smiled at him, but kept my lips shut.

Third period I rejoined my cousins for freshmen history. Shiro took the back corner seat away from the windows. I sat next to her, with Cub and Regina in front of us.

At the end of the period Shiro vanished from the classroom and we found her a few minutes later reserving a table for us, with her lunch already acquired.

"How did you vanish like that?" Regina asked her.

Shiro just shrugged.

"She's very fast." Cub held a chair out for Regina.

"Isn't it against the rules to run in the halls?"

"Only if the teachers catch her. Good luck with that." I sat next to Shiro.

As Cub opened her milk carton, Regina reached into her satchel. "My mom took me to a mall yesterday. She got me this phone. It takes pictures. I saw this huge panda bear stuffed toy in the window and it reminded me of you, Cub. Mom got it for me also. See?"

"Can I see your phone, Regina?"

"Just call me Gina. We're family, right?" She handed me her phone.

"How are we family?"

"Well with Cub and... I guess I mean we're friends, right?"

"Before you go too far down that path let me show you something. Siri, show video of Scarlet Bear rampage."

"There are no age appropriate videos for your query."

"Your mom has your phone locked down to kindergarten levels?" I handed it back to her. "Here, let me show you on my phone. Hey Google, show video of Scarlet Bear rampage hip hop dance mix."

Regina watched my phone wide eyed.

Larry leaned over her shoulder. "Aren't you embarrassed by that?"

"Why? I didn't do the remix. I think it's rather funny."

Regina looked down at her lunch. "Scar wasn't herself."

"Why do you call her Scar when she's shaped like a sphere?"

"My curves are almost all superpowered muscle. You've seen the footage. You know what I can do."

As Larry walked away Shiro and I nodded at Cub's use of the "SV" paw gesture.

Regina looked at the two of us then back to Cub. "Is something going on?"

"Regina or Gina," I whispered to her, "This is your last chance to choose. You can pick up your tray and go sit at another table as an ordinary little girl, or you can stick with us and become something very different. That way's your ordinary life. I strongly advise you take it."

"No, I can't." Gina grabbed Cub's arm in her hands. "I'm with you three."

"Your choice." I shrugged. "Finish lunch quick, because we have someone to see."

We finished lunch in silence, then the three of them followed me out of the cafeteria.

Her assistant wasn't at his desk, so I knocked on the door of Ms. Park's office.

"Come in." She looked up from her sandwich at the four of us. "Is there something wrong?"

I turned to Shiro. "Search the room."

A white blur silently filled the room, then Shiro dropped a pen on Ms. Park's desk.

"That's it?"

"Shiro knows how to do this."

I used my claws to rip open the pen, then crushed the electronics that had been hidden inside.

"What was that?" Ms. Park looked up at me.

"A bug."

"It was electronic, not an insect."

"Gina that's the term we use for a listening device." I pointed at her bag. "Turn your phone off please."

"Okay?"

"Thanks. Cub, what did you see?"

"It's Larry."

"He's not just being a jerk?"

"He was waiting for Gina to say Scar before he used the Sphere joke. Nobody is that quick on the uptake. Either he was coached to say it or he's got an ability."

"Couldn't he be an innocent abnormal?"

"Maybe and maybe the bug's from an unrelated plot, but most likely they're connected."

"And what is Miss Morbucks' connection with all of this?" Ms. Park asked.

"Gina chose to join the team." I turned to her. "Your mom is the prime suspect."

"Mom?"

"How many other supervillians have visited this school? Choose now, her or us. We won't hold it against you."

Gina looked down at the floor for several seconds then raised her head and looked me in the eyes. "I'm with Cub." She grabbed his paw in her hand. "What do you want me to do?"

"Your mom probably isn't going to spill her plot to you, but innocent things she asks you to do can provide vital clues to us. Just don't volunteer to her that you're plotting against her."

"And if she asks?"

"Then it's an admission that she's spying on you and hence is behind the plot. Can you pretend to be her innocent little daughter who hasn't noticed anything?"

"Cub?"

"It'd mean a lot to us."

"Then I'll do it. I'll pretend for you."

"Do you want Larry watched?"

"Please don't Ms. Park. Leave it to the professionals."

"You're just kids, not pros."

"Yes, but our mom's are. All four of us have that in common. We have to get to our next class. Everybody's got gym?"

All three nodded.

-HJC


	5. Chapter 5

"Scarlet, what's the point?" Gina stripped off her gym clothes and put them in her locker.

"About?" I followed suit. I wasn't really worried that her mom would have cameras here, and even if she did I had fur that covered everything, unlike her own daughter.

"Surely what we do in gym can't count as exercise for you, if you're really as strong as people say you are?"

"Have you ever worried about opening a door and finding you've crushed somebody behind it?" I smiled at her. I used the teeth. I felt she wouldn't report me.

"How - How do you keep from crushing all the ordinary things you touch?"

"It's careful control. Just as you can turn pages in a book without ripping them out. Hence I need physical practice. Not for the big things, but for the small."

"Oh." She turned and followed the other girls into the showers, then looked back at me as I followed her. "You just brought shampoo?"

"I've got hair all over, more or less. What else would I clean that with?"

"Let me help you with that." She turned on the shower briefly and I turned under it. Then she started shampooing my back. "This really is animal fur all over. Is it the same for my Cub?"

"And Shiro too." I nodded towards my cousin who was alone in a corner.

"Let me see." Another girl walked over and helped spread the shampoo over my fur as she ran her fingers through it. "It is real. It's all real."

"Really?" Another girl joined in, and then another.

I froze under their wandering fingers, afraid what my strength might do in the confusion.

"I'm sorry about what my brother has done." One of the girls whispered in my ear. "He hardly seemed to notice when I mentioned that I'd seen you at orientation."

I looked up to see which girl had said that, but I got shampoo in my eyes.

After we'd all rinsed off, the girls took turns rubbing towels over my body, then they had me turn in place as three of them directed their blow dryers at me.

As we all dressed afterwards several of the girls came over and tied tiny bows in the longer hair that grew from my head. It reminded me of the larger bow that mother used to put on me, I guess to mark me in her style.

Shiro left the girl's changing room first, apparently happy to have been left alone.

Amazingly the black limo wasn't waiting for us at the end of the schoolday. Gina looked around for it then turned to us. "My Cub, I saw the strangest thing at the toy store. It had all kinds of dolls."

"Oh, so?"

"It must have been a very special store. I've only seen dolls that weren't pandas or princesses in books.

"That's all you had?" He asked.

"Isn't that all anybody had? Oh, here's my ride." She leaned over to kiss him on the cheek then skipped off to the limo. She stopped just short of it to wave back at us, or more likely just him, then she got in and it drove away.

"Shiro suspects why Ms Morebucks never got her daughter any polar or grizzly bears."

"She missed out. It's not for nothing that we're the model for the teddy bear." I bowed to my cousins.

"Even with those bows in your hair you still look like a killing machine, just a little more tragically comic."

"Hi Larry." I turned to face him. "Thanks for reminding me. I need to return these bows to the girls tomorrow. Which one is your sister's?"

"How would I know? I don't go through her stuff." Larry walked off with his friends.

As we three bears walked to the Presidio BART station, Cub turned to me. "Scar, what is it with all the bows?"

"It's a way for the girls in my class to mark me, as a strange new thing they've touched. As Aunt Buttercup warned, we're valued as exotics. Give them a few weeks and we'll be accepted as people, just like back in Townsville. Did you catch that about Gina's dolls?"

Cub raised a paw to his chin. "Yeah, that was strange."

"It's been training."

"Huh?" He turned back to me.

"Gina's been taught all her life that the only partner for a princess is a panda, and you are the only panda in all the world she can legally marry. No wonder she fell for you on first sight. You are what she has been trained to look for."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" He shrugged.

"Shiro thinks that Regina Morebucks is useful, for now."

When we got off the train at the Mill Valley Bart station we saw that the bus wasn't scheduled to come by for another thirty minutes.

Shiro looked over at her father's empty parked car then turned back to us. "Cub will call Shiro when parents arrive?"

"Sure, uh." He watched the white blur speed up the hill. "Where is she going?"

"How far do you think those two have gotten?"

"Oh! Well I don't know." He sat down on a bench. "I Just got here a day before you. I wonder why she doesn't just run home from school?"

I sat down next to him. "Fewer people watching out here? I wonder if Uncle Ice would let us borrow his car? What's the age limit for a California driver's license?"

"I'll look into that. I could use it as I don't have your and Shiro's mobility powers."

"Aunt Buttercup is right, I've got a lot to learn before I can just jump around like that."

"What's to learn? You just jump around and hit things. Isn't that easy enough?" He made punching motions at the air.

"I've got a world of stuff to learn. Our moms showed that in our fight."

"Didn't you take on all three of the Powerpuff Women for an hour?"

"Only because they were taking it easy on me. I never even dug my claws into them once."

"But all that blood."

"Mine, mostly."

"They didn't?" He looked at me.

"No, I did. I kept ripping my own limbs open with powerful blows that they evaded. I healed up right afterwards, but I'm glad I don't remember that kind of pain."

"So, nothing?"

"I've watched the videos over and over. Like one of the few times I managed to draw blood from our moms was when my mom was arguing with Buttercup about something and I managed to backhand her so hard that it scratched her cheek and spilled a few drops of her blood. Looking at it frame by frame you can see windows explode as the shockwave reaches them."

"Really? Sounds like something that should have taken her out of the fight."

"You would think that anybody would have their head torn off, or at least stunned by that, but not Blossom. The frame before contact she's already turning her head with the blow, like she sensed it. Then Mom grabbed my paw and threw me over her into the ground and went back to yelling at Aunt Buttercup."

"Well at least those two helped stop you. All my mom did was fly around."

"No, Bubbles had the most important job of all. I really owe your mom."

"Huh?" Cub raised an eyebrow.

"For months I thought Bubbles was just flying around. When I studied the tapes I saw all those windows breaking behind her and thought she was causing it, but something wasn't right."

"What was it?"

"Finally I plotted out the destruction on a map of Townsville and saw that the windows weren't breaking in a V-pattern behind Bubbles, they were breaking in circles around me. She was surfing the shockwaves to listen for heartbeats. She saved at least a dozen people. I doubt we'll ever catch up to the Powerpuff Women."

When we got home Cub helped me carefully remove the girls' ribbons from my hair and put them away in a box. Later I was reading my textbooks in the front room when Shiro arrived and went straight to our shared room. A moment later I heard her father's car approaching.

Must be convenient for her that he has to drive past the ranger station.

I opened the door for him and saw that he was carrying two large Teppan Yaki bags. "Dinner?"

"Ice Bear will wait until Ice Bear's mate arrives. Are Scarlet's cousins at home?"

"Shiro is here", she called from our room, "Charles also."

"That's everybody then," Aunt Buttercup said as she opened the door. "Can we have dinner early? I was too busy for lunch."

"Dinner is when Buttercup says it is." Uncle Ice put the bags down on the kitchen counter and started setting places.

After dinner as Ice cleared away the dishes I went back to my room, removed a baggy from my backpack and emptied it on the table. "Somebody's bugging us at school."

"You really made a mess of this pen, Scarlet." Buttercup examined the evidence. "I just see yours, Shiro's and Chloe's fingerprints on it. These parts seem fairly generic also. Ice?"

"Ice Bear could buy these parts at twenty stores nearby. Ice Bear does much more precise soldering that this."

"Where did you find this, Scarlet?"

"Shiro spotted it in Ms. Park's office."

"Oh, how did you do that?" Buttercup turned to her daughter.

"Shiro saw one big pen and a bunch of slender pens. Chole Park has tiny fingers."

"That's my girl. Now what were you doing in her office?"

Cub explained his supervillian theory, but he left out the recruitment of Gina.

Wednesday morning I carefully tied Mom's ribbon around my head hair and put the box with the other girls' ribbons in my backpack.

When we got to school after the huge limo dropped Gina off to fly to Cub's side, a merely large black car with equally dark windows pulled into half of the same space to drop off an Asian girl of around our age that I hadn't seen at the school before.

We were turning to go into the school when the Asian girl shouted out: "Charles Bear, can you help me?"

He turned back to her. "Hello, have me met?"

"Hello, I am Ju Hua." She bowed to him. "I am a new student here so I was hoping that you could show me where the office is?"

"Well it's just down the corridor."

"Could you take me there please? I am new to this country and just finding my way around."

"Sure, I don't mind. You girls get to class and I'll meet you there." Cub turned to Ju Hua and smiled.

She stiffened for a moment and said something in Chinese.

"What effect is stronger than you were expecting?" He asked her.

"You speak Chinese?"

"Yeah, my father said I picked it up quicker than when he was a cub."

"That is so interesting. I hope that as fellow Chinese we can help each other adapt to this new school." She grabbed him by the paw and led the way to the school office.

Shiro glared at the new girl's back while Gina stood stunned.

"Come on you two." I nudged them forwards. "Off to class."

The next time I saw the new girl was when she took the seat next to Cub in third period history, with Gina in her usual seat on his other side.

"You're taking this class, Miss Hua?"

She turned back to me. "Principal Park graciously allowed me to take all the same classes as Charles, in case I needed something translated. It's Miss Ju, but you can call me by the English translation of Hua, if you like."

"Prosperity?" Cub suggested.

"Hua it is then."

"No Scarlet, it's Hua, not Hua. You're pronouncing it like 'Blossom'."

"If we're going to play at translations, then you can call her Scar and me Cub, and we'll all call you Chris." Cub smiled at her.

Hua started to frown at this, but then she went a little slack jawed and finally smiled back. "Chris is fine, Cub."

"I don't get it."

"Scar, if we used your mispronunciation then my full name would be 'Chrysanthemum Blossom'. Chris is an amusing nickname to be used among friends. Now, why are you 'Scar'?"

"Class is starting. You can have the full story at lunch."

As promised I showed Chris the video on my phone at the start of lunch while Cub had turned away from her to open Gina's milk carton.

"Very interesting." Chris handed my phone back. She hadn't seemed at all surprised to watch the video of my rampage. "So you have scars all over your body under your fur?"

"No, none at all." I brushed back the fur on my left arm. "There ought to be scars all over, but I have none. Hence it's ironic to call me Scar."

"Do you have nightmares about fighting your mother?"

"Not that I recall. No memories at all until after the fight was over."

"Scar you truly do have powers that are just as amazing as those of your cousins."

Cub turned back to her. "I don't have any powers."

"Oh?" That seemed to surprise Chris. She studied Cub's face for a few seconds, blushed, looked at me and then Shiro who was seated next to me. "Very interesting."

"I'm sure my Cub will develop great powers someday."

Chris started to frown at Gina, but hid this behind her hand as she passed her own milk carton to Cub. "Could you please open mine as well, my Cub?"

At the start of the next period Coach Vasiliev looked up from his clipboard, "Miss Ju Hua?"

"Yes, teacher?"

"What's your background in athletics?"

"I have taken some Gymnastics."

"Would you mind showing us?"

"As you wish." She did some jumps and tumbling on the mats.

"She's very graceful." Gina hugged her knees.

"Let me show you something that blows that away." I raised my paw. "Coach, there's something I've been wanting to try."

"Very well. You can take your seat, Miss Ju."

"No, I need her." I walked forwards and held out my paws, pads up.

"What is this?" Chris asked.

"Use my paws as a springboard. I'll boost your jump then catch you afterwards."

"Very well." She ran forwards, cartwheeled, jumped up and spun around to land with knees slightly bent on the pads of my paws.

I tossed her halfway to the thirty foot ceiling.

She rolled in midair, recovered and was coming down feet first.

I ran forwards and caught her feet on my outstretched paws, then tossed her up again, but lower this time.

She flipped over me and I reached out one paw to catch her by one foot then tossed her over me again.

As she passed over me from paw to paw, Chris reached down and yanked my bow off. She waved the red ribbon around in midair.

I figured that was enough so I held out my arms and caught her by the back, then lifted her to her feet.

Chris bowed to our classmates, who clapped, even Gina.

"A little rough, but you two are promising."

"For what, Coach Vasiliev?" I asked.

"Do you mean Acrobatic Gymnastics?" Chris asked.

"Yes, exactly."

"The rest of the team I practiced with remains in China, but if you think Miss Bear has promise then I can train with her. If it is okay with you, Scarlet?"

"I've been looking to show off my agility."

"Alright. You two rest up while the rest of you run five laps to warm up."

She sat down and stared puzzled at me.

I sat down next to her. "What's the matter Chris?"

"Scar, may I ask how much you weigh?"

"Two hundred and twenty pounds."

"Impossible. You can't be just one hundred kilograms."

"Well, I could have added a few pounds since last I checked. I'm still growing."

"No, it's that you didn't fall over when you caught me at arms' length. You'd have to weigh at least a few tons to match that impulse within your stance."

"It's super strength. It doesn't work the same way that normal strength works."

"Oh, how does it work then?"

"I exert my muscles to focus and then I think about the extra effect I want like picking up a bus or throwing a mega punch. Mom says it's related the 'color force' she and her sisters use."

"When they surround themselves with glowing shapes?"

"Yeah, that."

In the showers after gym Chris was the only girl to join Gina to help shampoo me this time. While Gina simply washed, Chris probed at my joints and muscles with her fingers. I was tempted to ask her to tell me if she found any weak spots, but I held my tongue.

After the showers I took out two boxes while Chris redid Mom's bow on my head. "Girls, I brought back your ribbons and I have a thank you treat for each of you from Teppan Yaki."

Each of the girls thanked me in turn, but I wasn't able to figure out which one was Larry's sister.

Gina saw that the big black limo was waiting after school. "I'll see you tomorrow, my Cub." She leaned over to kiss him on his right cheek then walked to her ride and turned around to wave back at us.

Chris leaned over to kiss Cub's left cheek. "I look forwards to your help also, my Cub." Chris walked down the steps and then past Gina to her own ride.

Gina stood there for a moment until her driver got out, opened the door and beckoned her to get inside the limo.

When we got to the Mill Valley Bart station Shiro ran off, presumably to go see her boyfriend.

I had Cub all to myself for the next twenty minutes so I decided to tease him a bit. "So which of the two spies sent to seduce you are you going to take a tumble with? Will it be the sweet and innocent Gina or the amazingly agile Chris?"

"Chris is a spy?"

"She's way too well briefed on us, but unlike Gina she's got a double mission. Smuggle you back to China and find out everything about the Powerpuff family."

"Why were you so friendly with her then?"

"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. Do you think you can flip this spy like you did Gina? She really seems to like you. It doesn't feel like it's all an act. What do you bet that she only had panda dolls?"

"China? I don't know."

"Of all eleven members of the extended Powerpuff family, only one of us has lived in China for any length of time."

"Eleven?"

"Aunt Bliss visited twice after you two left Townsville. She seemed a bit freaked out that her sisters had married bears, but she was friendly enough to me and Dad."

"Oh yeah. Well I guess I'd better call my dad."

"Have fun talking in Pandaese." I walked over to a car that had stopped to watch us again, as they had on Tuesday, but they sped off before I got to them.


End file.
